Revelation chapter 12 records supernatural visions that are given to the Apostle John. Here I’ll try to present some Biblical references to shed light on the symbolism in the visions.
“A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth… She gave birth to a son, a male child, who ‘will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.’ And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.”
Revelation 12:1-2, 5
The Male Child
Christ is the male child. This is clear by the phrase that says he will “rule the nations with an iron scepter.” A scepter is a rod or staff used by a king and is a symbol of power and authority. The added description of iron means that he will force and demand compliance by punishment of death for non-compliance. This is very different from how Christ deals with mankind in our age of grace. This phrase was originally alluded to in Psalm 2 and is also repeated in Revelation 2:7 and 19:15. In each of the cases it is a clear reference to the risen Christ who is returning in victory to reign on the earth. The judgments of the seals, trumpets and bowls are preparatory to Christ’s reign. Prior to his physical reign, he will execute judgments on surviving Israelites and Gentiles. God rejectors will be taken in death. True believers will remain to populate the Millennial Kingdom (see Ezekiel 20:34-38 for Jews; Matthew 25:31-46 for Gentiles). In John’s vision, it skips from the birth of Christ to his Ascension. Christ’s next major move will be the Second Coming.
“I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:
“He said to me, ‘You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
Psalm 2:7-9
“To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Revelation 2:26-29
“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
“KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”
Revelation 19:11-16
The Woman Represents Israel
Since we know the child is Christ, it’s obvious that the mother giving birth is Mary. But the emphasis isn’t on Mary the individual, but rather on Israel, the nation she belongs to. Israel was a nation promised to Abraham and chosen by grace by God. Abraham’s descendants went to Egypt and stayed for many generations until they eventually grew in such vast numbers that Pharaoh was afraid of them. Therefore he ordered his troops to enslave them and they were mistreated. God sent Moses to redeem them from that evil empire and established them as a Holy Nation. Over the many generations of human history, Israel has been hated and oppressed by other nations. However, this seemingly small and insignificant nation has endured and will continue to endure right up until the very end. Their perseverance serves as an eternal witness to the glory and majesty of God just as the sun, moon and stars do.
In the story of Joseph’s dream, Jacob, his father, is seen as the sun. Jacob, of course, was also known as Israel and his sons formed the 12 tribes of Israel. So, in Joseph’s dream, Jacob was the sun, his wife was the moon and the 12 stars were the twelve sons (Genesis 37:9). In Revelation 12, Mary is seen clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and a crown of 12 stars. The nation Israel is implied and therefore represented as eternal just as the sun, moon and stars are eternal. Together they will testify to God’s grace and glory as long as the sun, moon and stars shine their light. To survive the tribulation period, God will provide a place for them for 1,260 days which coincides with the reign of the antichrist during the final 3 ½ years of the tribulation period. The remnant of 144,000 will survive until the inauguration of the Millennial Kingdom and remain in a prominent position through eternity.
“This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the Lord Almighty is his name:
“’Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,’ declares the Lord, ‘will Israel ever cease being a nation before me.'”
Jeremiah 31:35-36
Michael the Archangel
In the letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul teaches the church that their battle isn’t against flesh and blood, but against angelic forces in the heavenly realms (Ephesian 6:12). The prophet Daniel spoke of Michael, the warrior angel, rising to protect Israel (Daniel 12:1). Jude mentioned a dispute between Michael and Satan (Jude 1:9). An angel was delayed in coming to the prophet Daniel for 21 days because of an exhausting battle (Daniel 10). While we may never have seen these battles in the heavenly realm, we know they are a reality because of these Biblical references. This is brought out more clearly in Revelation 12:7-9 where there appears to be a large scale angelic war. The timing of this would probably be just prior to the great tribulation which occurs during the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation period. Prior to this time, Satan apparently has access to God’s throne in heaven where he accuses the believers. This concept is demonstrated in the story of Job (Job 1:6-12) and affirmed in Revelation 12:10. However, at the beginning of the great tribulation, Satan is removed from the heavenly realm and confined to earth. When that happens, he knows his time is short and he becomes more furious than ever (Revelation 12:12). The last 42 months of the tribulation is when Satan ends the sacrifices in the temple and sets up himself as a god and demands worship and institutes the mark of the beast. Michael the archangel will lead the battle to send Satan to earth and will be victorious according to John’s vision.
“Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”
Revelation 12:7-9
All Scripture quoted from:
New International Version (NIV)
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